ADSI is a telecommunications protocol standard developed by Bellcore. ADSI enables alternate voice and data capability over the existing analog telephone network. This capability permits ADSI devices to communicate with users through a familiar voice response audio interface, where the user listens to voice recordings and makes menu selections using a telephone keypad, and with visual menus and information on a screen display, where service selections can be made using soft keys. Currently, ADSI devices are often implemented as screen-display telephone terminals, but there can also be television set-top boxes allowing users to make calls using the television, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, and personal computers that are ADSI capable.
In addition to real-time interactive applications, ADSI also enables program transfer using a capability known as Feature Download. These programs, or service scripts, can be developed on a server and run on a local terminal. In many cases, these scripts are stored in an external database accessible to one telephony platform and for access by the telephony platform serving the user. Therefore, when new features are requested by the user, or are newly added by the server, the scripts are transferred by the telephony platform to the ADSI terminal where they are stored in memory and executed by the terminal until overwritten. These scripts define not only call flow, but also define the soft keys and displays presented to the user during a call.
One example of applied ADSI technology is Northern Telecom's Advanced Call Management Service (ACMS). In ACMS, customer selected features are stored in an external database. When a customer calls in for activation of services, a database lookup is performed so that the appropriate information for that customer can be downloaded to the telephone. The application runs on a Network Applications Vehicle (NAV), that is typically a UNIX-based telephony platform, and reads an object file to get information concerning the call flow. The NAV presents the call flow, including ADSI commands, to the end user and as a result a new application is presented to the terminal.
Some telephone networks operate a UNIX-based telephony platform that can operate ADSI technology (ADSI telephone networks). Other telephone networks operate on less advanced telephony platforms that cannot operate ADSI technology. Thereby, some users are excluded from the opportunity to use ADSI technology by their telephone network.
To further confuse the matter, each ADSI telephone network can operate distinct ADSI technology. ADSI technology is divided into ADSI feature files, such as custom local area signaling services (CLASS) and custom calling features (CCF). As with all technology, each ADSI feature file continues to improve and for each improvement the ADSI feature file becomes more expensive and larger. Due to the ever increasing program size of each ADSI feature file the ADSI telephone networks are losing valuable memory on their telephone platforms. With each improvement each ADSI telephone network decides whether to incorporate the improvement in their telephone platform or wait for a further improvement. Thus, each ADSI telephone network has its own ADSI feature files.
The capability of ADSI devices have been explored to provide users with more advanced consumer-based telephone services. However, ADSI devices have not previously been integrated successfully and effectively with the vast resources of computer network sites, particularly on the Internet, to download and standardize ADSI feature files for all users of ADSI devices. The present invention is designed to resolve this inadequacy.
In addition to permitting ADSI devices to download ADSI feature files from the Internet, the proposed ADSI Internet interface would allow all users to use the most advanced ADSI features files on all telephone networks. Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that would allow users to access and download ADSI feature files from the Internet to their ADSI system.